Mail-box.



. T. H. TUMEY.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.7, 1911.

1,038,237, I Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. Eml- COLUMBIA PLANDGEAPH CO" WASHINGTON, U- Cr T. H.TUMEY.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED 0017, 1911.

1,038,237. Patented Sept. 10,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

2X)Wmom TH w y, I

CDLUMIIA PLANOCIIAFH CO. WASHINGTON, D, C.

THOMAS HOUSE TUMEY, OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.

MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

Application filed October 7, 1911. Serial No. 653,383.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS Housn TU- MIEY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Austin, in the county of Travis and State of Texas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes, ofwhich the following is a specification, referones being had to theaccompanying drawmgs.

This invention relates to mail boxes and more particularly to that styleof mail boxes that are used for private parties in the rural districts.

The main object of this invention is to provide means for readilyindicating when the mail box is open or closed, and means forautomatically handing out the mail when the box is opened.

A further object is to arrange such means so that it will make thecondition of the box apparent to those at a comparatively long distanceaway.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent as it is more fullyset forth.

The invention consists in certain constructions and arrangements of theparts hereinafter described and claimed.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof andalso to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the meansfor effecting the result, reference is to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a side view of a mail box embodying this invention. Fig. 2is an interior view of the mail box. Fig. 3 is a sectional view alongthe line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the line 44: of Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout thedrawings.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a mail box which is providedat one end with a door or cover 2 hinged at the bottom as best indicatedin Fig. 2, and designed to be held in closed position by a catch 3. Apin at is secured to one side of the box on the interior wall thereof,and a link 5 is pivotally mounted at one end on said pin to 0 swingabout the pin as a horizontal axis.

The link 5 is formed intermediate of its ends with a longitudinal slot 6in which one end of a bar '7 is slidingly mounted, the other end of thebar 7 being pivotally connected, by an eye 8, to the inner wall of thedoor 2. As best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3,

the link 5 is extended at its upper end beyond the slotted portion 6 andis formed at its free end with a pair of spring members 5 which havetheir extremities 6" curved outwardly in order to permit the readyinsertion of letters and the like, whereby, when the door is opened, andthe link 5 swung forwardly and outwardly from the open end of the box,the letters carried by the spring members 5 will be convenientlypresented to the letter carrier or householder and thus readilyextracted from the box. The spring construction of the members 5 enablethem to adjust themselves to the number of letters to be held thereby.The connecting bar? is arranged to support the door 2 in an open,substantially horizontal position, as is manifest. Journal members 9project laterally from one side of the box 1 in vertical spaced relationto each other, said members being apertured as shown, and through saidmembers there freely passes a flag staff 10 which carries a flag 11 orother indicating device at its upper end and which is provided near itslower end with a washer as best illustrated in Fig. 4 to limit theupward movement of the flag staff in the journal members 9. A verticallydisposed spindle 12 is supported by the journal members 9, and ahorizontally swinging signal holding member 13 is mounted to swing onsaid spindle, the signal holding member 13 being formed at its normallyoutwardly projecting end with an inwardly projecting arm 14 adapted tolimit the movement of the door in one direction by abutting against theadjacent side of the box 1. The member 13 is also formed with a normallyinwardly projecting finger 15 which passes through a longitudinal slotslot 16 formed in the adjoining side of the box. Preferably the signalholding member 13 is formed with a shallow depression 17 in its upperface in which the lower end of the flag staff 10 is adapted to rest,whereby the flag staff will be held in raised position projecting inthrough the slot 16 and over the upper side of the link 5, the flagstaff being supported in this raised position by having its lower endresting in the recess 17 of the member 18. It will thus be understoodthat when the door 2 is swung forwardly and downwardly to open position,the consequent forward swinging of the link 5 will cause said link toengage the finger 15 and thereby swing the member 13 so as to disengagetheshallow recess 17 of the member 13 from the lower extremity of theflag stafi 10, thereby permitting the staff to drop in between the mainportion of the member 13 and the stop arm 14: thereof. In this positionof the parts the staff engages a lateral lug 18 formed on one side edgeof the supporting member 13. The lowering of the flag or other signalingdevice will thus indicate to persons at a distance that the box has beenopened. To again reset the parts, the flag staif 10 is raised, the dooris closed so as to swing the link 5 back past the signal supportingmember 13 and the latter is then swung inwardly until its stop arm 14:contacts with the adjacent side of the box 1, at which time the recess17 will come underneath the lower end of the staif 10 and the staff maythus be easily held in elevated position ready for a subsequent openingof the door and the automatic actuation of the signal devices.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed is A mail boxprovided with a swinging door, a link pivotally mounted at one endwithin the box, said link being formed with a slotted intermediateportion and with a ;spring forked, free end, and a bar pivotallyconnected to the door at one end and formed tially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aifix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

THOMAS HOUSE TUMEY.

Witnesses W., H. MURRAY, EMILIE LIMBERG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

